Jarvis Dean Brock, 74, of Asheville NC, passed away peacefully on August 19th, 2026. Dean was born April 30th, 1952 to Jarvis Sr. and Mildred Brock in Waynesville, NC. Throughout his life, Dean was known as a man of great intelligence and kindness, bringing humor, wisdom, and warmth to the lives of those who knew him.

Dean was a remarkably bright and charming kid. He moved around North and South Carolina with his family growing up. He received a National Merit Scholarship to attend Duke University, completing his B.A. in Mathematics in 1974. He went on to earn his PhD in Computer Science at MIT in 1983.

Dean loved sharing his knowledge with others and pursued teaching in various forms throughout his life. He traveled internationally teaching Unix before becoming a professor at UNC Chapel Hill and later UNC Asheville. He cared deeply about his students and would work hard creating inventive activities to get them excited about learning up until he retired in 2020.

Outside of academics, Dean also had a lifelong passion for music and dancing. He came from a musical family, singing and playing hymns growing up. At Duke he sang in the University Chapel Choir, and while teaching at UNC Chapel Hill he took part in Gilbert and Sullivan productions with the Durham Savoyards. At home, he played guitar, piano, and sang, and throughout his life he regularly attended contra, Scottish, and English country dances. He passed his love of music and dance to his children, who fondly remember dancing and singing around the house with him.

Above all, Dean loved his family. He treasured being a father and playing with his children. He would always make time to visit his extended family and devoted many hours to genealogy, researching both his and his wife’s family.

Dean is survived by his wife Rebecca Bruce; his children Ghilman Brock (Melissa Chin) and Janet Brock (Tyler Trejo); and his brothers Zane and Truett.

A memorial service celebrating Dean’s life will be held on August 29th, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Hazelwood Baptist in Waynesville, NC. Burial to follow at Greenhill Cemetery. We invite all who knew and loved Dean to join us in honoring his memory and we encourage attendees to wear color in tribute to his love of fun colors.

In lieu of flowers, we encourage you to honor Dean’s legacy by learning something new, dancing to your favorite song, or spending a little extra time with your family. We believe this would be the best tribute to his extraordinary life and what he would have wanted for all whose lives he touched.